Seeing the AirPods Pro indicator on your iPhone or iPad glitch out? You wouldn’t be the only one — this appears to be an actual issue with the new headphones. Many users have reported red exclamation point errors on the AirPods Pro.
AirPods Pro Red Exclamation Point Error: Why Am I Experiencing This?
Basically, the bug causes an animation glitch in the AirPods Pro user interface on your iPhone or iPad.
It essentially causes one of the AirPods Pro indicators to become very glitchy and appear like it’s dancing around.
You’ll also see a red exclamation point next to the particular AirPod instead of the left or right indicator letter.
That isn’t necessarily a major issue, but it can keep you from knowing what your charge level is. It’s also fairly annoying and may keep your AirPods Pro from charging normally.
Just know that it probably isn’t the physical connection. All impacted users that we’ve seen were very clear that their AirPods Pro case was free of debris or dust.
From the looks of it, this does paper to be a fairly widespread issue. Because the impacted AirPods seem to function normally otherwise, it’s likely be tied to firmware or software — so it’s probably not a hardware problem.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t a necessarily new issue. Based on reports from users, both first- and second-generation AirPods had the same problem before a firmware update actually fixed it.
Troubleshooting the Problem: How to Fix the AirPods Pro Red Exclamation Points Error
Now that you know why your AirPods have the red exclamation points issue, let’s go about how to actually fix the issue.
First thing’s first: we recommend taking out the buggy AirPro Pro out of its case, waiting a few seconds and placing it back in. If the problem doesn’t persist, then everything should continue working as normal.
If your AirPods continue glitching out, follow these steps to try and fix the issue.
Check for Dust and Debris
Earlier, we mentioned that many users running into this issue made sure that wasn’t any debris in their AirPods Pro case. But your own mileage may vary.
It’s worth checking the connection points inside your charging case to make sure there isn’t any dirt or other debris. If you find any dust or debris that you suspect could be impacting your device’s performance, you should seek to clean this as soon as possible. However, it’s also important that you don’t cause any extra damage. For that reason, you’ll need to use something gentle.
For more information on clearing dust and debris, you can refer to these other guides:
You’ll also want to make sure that your device’s software is up-to-date. This is especially true if you recently downloaded a major update. For example, iOS 17 had a lot of bugs to begin with — but Apple has launched several updates since September 2023. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to check for a possible update that you need to install.
Reset your AirPods Pro
Resetting your AirPods Pro is as easy as holding down the appropriate button for at least 15 seconds.
It may be worth resetting your AirPods Pro using the physical button on the charging case. Here’s how.
Put your AirPods Pro back in their case.
Find the Reset button on the rear of the case itself. It’s fairly flush, so you may need to feel around for it.
Press and hold this button for at least 15 seconds.
From there, you’ll need to re-pair your AirPods Pro with the device that you’re using it with.
Alternatively, you can also try heading to the Bluetooth menu and forgetting your AirPods Pro from there.
Reset Your Network settings
Because AirPods Pro connect to your devices via Bluetooth, it may be worth resetting your iPhone’s or iPad’s network connectivity settings.
Go to the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap on General.
Scroll down until you see Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Tap on Reset Network Settings.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to actually re-pair your AirPods Pro with your device after resetting.
Update your AirPods firmware
It appears that a firmware fix is the most surefire way to fix the problem. On the other hand, we don’t know if a current firmware update actually contains a bug fix. If it doesn’t, then a future firmware update probably will.
To update your AirPods Pro firmware, all you need to do is place both AirPods back in their case. Then, bring the case near your iPhone (with an internet connection).
You can also check what firmware you’re running by going to Settings > General > About > Your AirPods Pro. You can also check the Apple website for what the firmware is for your AirPods Pro headphones.
Take Your AirPods Pro to Apple
Of course, there’s always the slim possibility that your AirPods Pro or AirPods Pro case is actually defective.
If nothing else works and the problem persists, we recommend that you contact Apple Support. They’ll be able to help you repair or replace your headphones.
To contact Apple, download the Apple Support app or go to support.apple.com. Then, mention the problem you’re having. If you need a repair, the price you’ll need to pay will vary. You can estimate how much you must pay on the Apple Support AirPods repair page.
Exclamation Error With Your AirPods? Let’s Fix It!
If you’re experiencing red exclamation point errors with your AirPods Pro, it can get irritating after a period of time. The good news is that there are some things that you can do to solve the problem, and we’ve outlined some of the best steps to follow today. Hopefully, you were able to fix the problem without needing to go to Apple Support — but it’s always nice to know that you at least have that option if necessary.
We hope that you were able to fix the issue on your new AirPods Pro. Please let us know in the comments below if you have any questions or concerns.
Mike is a freelance journalist from San Diego, California.
While he primarily covers Apple and consumer technology, he has past experience writing about public safety, local government, and education for a variety of publications.
He’s worn quite a few hats in the journalism field, including writer, editor, and news designer.
Two pairs of Apple airpods with the charging case and the second one same problem. The left airpod stopped working.
They’ve never given me a brand new case as a set. I was sent 2 left airpods from Apple and they gave me a new charging case and right airpod at the store. I would feel better knowing I had a new accessory altogether.
Not a bunch of parts From different airpods. Had them under a month and I’ve been dealing with this.
I’ve had mine since Xmas although I think my wife bought them in store mid December.
All was fine to start with but today the left one has stopped working. I use the ANC on its own without music at work as there’s often background noise and it just dials it’s right down. However today when I popped in the left pod and tried to activate ANC, it asked me to put the other one in, saying that it only works with both. Then I checked and pressing the button on the left pod I heard a beep but still no ANC. I selected some music to play and to my suprise only music played out of the rhs pod. Even the ear bud fit test didn’t work. Seemed like it didn’t recognise the pod was in my ear.
Many resets later, including both phone network and AirPods pro and nothing. Half an hour on the phone to Apple and finally agreed to send me a replacement.
Now looks like I’m getting just the two replacement pods, not the case. Will advise if this is a hardware fault when I try the new pair.
Any other tips or tricks to try let me know!
I’m also having issues, specifically with the left but sometimes also with the right.
Right now they were in the case over 24 hours so they should be charged, but when I went to use them it said the left had 0% and the right 33%.
After fiddling with it and opening and closing the case, it said the left had 25% and the right 3%.
I restarted my phone and reset the air pods and now they’re showing 44% and 26%, and when I closed the case it started acting all glitchy on my phone, popping up and out like I was toying with the case. And finally, I have the red exclamation point on the right one now.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me. Any other thoughts? Any readers got tips?
I went to the Apple store with the first set of AirPods Pro and they replaced it free of charge.
I opened the new one right in the store after unboxing it. I saw a similar problem.
After reading this post, “Resetting Network Setting” is the only option that finally worked!
Nothing will fix mine.
Two pairs of Apple airpods with the charging case and the second one same problem. The left airpod stopped working.
They’ve never given me a brand new case as a set. I was sent 2 left airpods from Apple and they gave me a new charging case and right airpod at the store. I would feel better knowing I had a new accessory altogether.
Not a bunch of parts From different airpods. Had them under a month and I’ve been dealing with this.
I’ve had mine since Xmas although I think my wife bought them in store mid December.
All was fine to start with but today the left one has stopped working. I use the ANC on its own without music at work as there’s often background noise and it just dials it’s right down. However today when I popped in the left pod and tried to activate ANC, it asked me to put the other one in, saying that it only works with both. Then I checked and pressing the button on the left pod I heard a beep but still no ANC. I selected some music to play and to my suprise only music played out of the rhs pod. Even the ear bud fit test didn’t work. Seemed like it didn’t recognise the pod was in my ear.
Many resets later, including both phone network and AirPods pro and nothing. Half an hour on the phone to Apple and finally agreed to send me a replacement.
Now looks like I’m getting just the two replacement pods, not the case. Will advise if this is a hardware fault when I try the new pair.
Any other tips or tricks to try let me know!
I’m also having issues, specifically with the left but sometimes also with the right.
Right now they were in the case over 24 hours so they should be charged, but when I went to use them it said the left had 0% and the right 33%.
After fiddling with it and opening and closing the case, it said the left had 25% and the right 3%.
I restarted my phone and reset the air pods and now they’re showing 44% and 26%, and when I closed the case it started acting all glitchy on my phone, popping up and out like I was toying with the case. And finally, I have the red exclamation point on the right one now.